The present invention relates to toy vehicles and in particular to toy vehicles designed to simulate drag racers and the like.
Drag racing typically involves competition between two vehicles, starting side by side at a predetermined start signal, and racing along side-by-side racetracks for a predetermined distance. Typically, race cars of this type, shortly prior to the actual start, will spin their drive wheels on the pavement in what is referred to as a xe2x80x9cburn-out.xe2x80x9d This heats up the surfaces of the drive wheel tires, which serves to increase the coefficient of friction between the drive wheels in the underlying pavement, minimizing spinning of the wheels when high torque levels are applied during high power starts.
In the design of toy vehicles, it is often desired to simulate real life. Accordingly, in a toy drag racer vehicle, for example, it would be desirable to simulate the pre-start procedures that are performed in real life. An example of such is the Fauser U.S. Pat. No. 4,580,994 in which a motor driven toy race car is provided with a xe2x80x9cbeaterxe2x80x9d activated by the car""s drive motor. Using a shift lever, the motor can be activated to drive the beater to produce a staccato revving sound typical of pre-start activity. After the initial revving, a shift lever can be moved to engage the drive motor with the drive wheels. The present invention is directed to a toy-racing car designed to simulate a drag racer or the like in a different and improved manner.
The present invention is directed to a toy drag racer vehicle or the like, particularly one that is constructed in part utilizing xe2x80x9cK""NEXxe2x80x9d construction toy components, which enables a unique and advantageous form of pre-start simulation activities simulating burn-out of the drive wheels as typically occurs in the course of real drag racing practice. Pursuant to the invention, a special drive mechanism is provided which includes a chassis unit containing the drive motors and gears, control facilities, sound making elements and the like, and which includes mechanical facilities for joining the chassis unit with xe2x80x9cK""NEXxe2x80x9d construction toy components. The chassis unit includes a driven axle extending from each side thereof and mounting large wheels, simulating the main drive wheels of a typical drag racer. A pair of small stabilizing wheels are also mounted on the chassis, inside of and largely concealed by the large main wheels. The stabilizing wheels are positioned to project slightly below the lowermost peripheral portions of the simulated main drive wheels such that, in a normal orientation of the chassis unit, the simulated drive wheels are slightly elevated from a support surface on which the chassis unit is resting.
Additionally, the chassis unit mounts an actual drive wheel, which is housed primarily within the chassis unit and has a lower peripheral portion exposed at the bottom of the chassis unit. When the chassis unit is supported by the actual drive wheel and the two stabilizing wheels, the simulated main drive wheels are supported slightly above the level of the support surface and can be rotated without causing the chassis unit to move.
In accordance with one aspect of the invention, the chassis unit mounts separate drive motors for independent operation of the simulated drive wheels and the actual drive wheel, together with separate controls for the two motors, such that the simulated drive wheels can be rotated separately or simultaneously with the actual drive wheel. Preferably, the control arrangements include independent, manually operated control elements enabling the operator to control the xe2x80x9cburn-outxe2x80x9d and motion phases of the race car operation. Additionally, the control arrangements desirably include an automatic timer which, when actuated, initiates a sequence of a timed xe2x80x9cburn-outxe2x80x9d followed by race car motion.
In a particularly preferred embodiment of the invention, the drive motors are radio controlled by using a remote control pad, so that nothing on the simulated drag racer has to be physically manipulated in order to achieve the effects desired.
In one preferred embodiment of the invention, a power takeoff shaft is geared o the simulated main drive wheels, and can be connected via xe2x80x9cK""NEXxe2x80x9d construction, toy components to a simulated engine, with rotating elements, etc. to provide an increased level of realism. Additionally, a third drive motor is preferably mounted in the chassis unit. The third motor serves to actuate a linear control element projecting from the front of the chassis unit. When a complete race car vehicle is assembled, the linear control element can be joined with a steering mechanism at the front of the vehicle, to accommodate remote control steering as the vehicle advances.
For a more complete understanding of the above and other features and advantages of the invention, reference should be made to the detailed description of a preferred embodiment of the invention and to the accompanying drawings.